CNI News

24 June 2026

More than 6.3 million students in Myanmar have left school campuses and are missing out on educational opportunities, according to a report released by ISP Myanmar.

ISP Myanmar stated that basic education enrollment for the 2026–2027 academic year stands at 6.7 million, an increase of around 600,000 compared to last year.

"Estimating based on data from the 2019 and 2024 censuses, the school-age population eligible for basic education should be around 13 million," ISP Myanmar noted. "Therefore, in a single academic year, more than 6.3 million people have lost access to basic education."

Furthermore, matriculation exam numbers—a critical milestone for pursuing higher education—dropped drastically from over 900,000 candidates in 2020 to only around 250,000 in 2026, according to ISP Myanmar's data.

"On the other hand, the administration of U Min Aung Hlaing has stated that it will allocate a larger budget to the education sector," ISP Myanmar reported. "The state budget allocation for education was 6.03% in the 2024–2025 fiscal year, and is projected to be 6.92% in the 2026–2027 fiscal year. It is also stated that the budget will increase by no less than 10% in the coming fiscal year, with plans to reach up to 20% within his five-year tenure. However, it is noteworthy that current spending on education has not yet returned to the 8.07% level spent during the 2020–2021 period."

On February 1, 2021, the Myanmar military ousted the NLD government, taking power under the claim that the government attempted to convene parliament without resolving disputes over the 2020 general election voter lists.

Following the takeover, nationwide anti-coup protests and armed resistance emerged. Concurrently, pressures arose calling for teachers to join the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) and urging students to boycott or drop out of school.

As a result, students have lost their access to education, a crisis further compounded by continuous displacement due to ongoing armed conflict.